


Love is in the Stunts

by HomeForImaginaryFriends



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 18:31:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16897770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomeForImaginaryFriends/pseuds/HomeForImaginaryFriends
Summary: Kuroo thinks he has everything under control, until his new co-star and stuntman arrives on set.





	Love is in the Stunts

**Author's Note:**

> KuroDai Mid-Birthday Weekend 2018  
> Day 1: Phenomenon - Celebrity AU

Kuroo, along with half of the cast and crew, watch as one of the main actors for the would-be historical action piece storm off the set.  Kuroo isn’t all that surprised, the man had been throwing childish fits since day one as if he didn’t realize what he was getting himself into.  Nothing seemed to be how he wanted it to be and most of the crew spent their valuable time trying to talk him back from ledges instead of doing their actual jobs, which meant they were behind schedule even before they started filming.  Kuroo looks down at the head of wardrobe and costume design, Yachi Hitoka. Yachi is fairly young and sometimes her nerves get the best of her but Kuroo already know she’s got a backbone of steel and after a small pep talk to herself she could get anything she set her mind to done.  She also happened to be brilliant at what she did, the elaborate kimono she had crafted fit his long form perfectly, though she was making minor edits before the first day of shooting tomorrow.

 

Yachi had lost her laser-like focus as she looked over at the director, Ennoshita Chikara.  Ennoshita was only a few years older than Yachi, young to be directing such a big production but he had won several awards for his independent films and was quickly picked up by a large production company.  This film would be his first big one and one of the main actors had just stormed off. His face betrayed nothing, his eyes were tired looking and his shoulders were relaxed but his hands were curled into tightly balled fists.  Ennoshita and Yachi had attended the same high school and she had worked on his previous films with him. Kuroo could see the clear worry written all over Yachi’s face.

 

Recasting was a dangerous road to go down.  The actor that had stormed out might have been a big man child but he was a talented man child, none of his pomp and arrogance ever came across on screen and the public loved him.  The character of the mild mannered but loyal bodyguard would be a tough one to fill, especially with the direction that Ennoshita planned to that the relationship between the bodyguard and Kuroo’s own character.

 

“Yo director-san!”  Tanaka Ryuunosuke was the stunt coordinator for the film, along with being an extra in it.  He was a childhood friend of Ennoshita’s and had to be held back a couple times when the actor who had stormed off got into Ennoshita’s face.  Tanaka swung a muscled arm around Ennoshita’s shoulders, giving the other man no choice but to follow him back into the office where the door was closed for privacy.

 

“Yachi-san?”  Kuroo questioned softly, snapping Yachi out of her daze.

 

“Oh!  I’m so sorry!”  Yachi said quickly, bending back down to make her final adjustments on the kimino.  “How does that feel?” She asked, fingers running over the fabric covering Kuroo’s legs to straighten it out before backing away.  Kuroo stepped off the heightened pedestal he was on and walked around. The garments were heavier than anything Kuroo was used to wearing with more layers that promised to make him sweat under the bright studio lights but Kuroo had to admit it was a beautiful piece of work.  It was the perfect blend of historical accuracy and modern adaptation, just as the story Ennoshita was trying to create with his movie. Kuroo had been entranced the moment he read the script and was only that much more inclined to do it when he heard a rather famous actor had agreed to play the role of the emperor.

 

“Yachi,” Oikawa whined as he put away his phone after taking a minimum of 40 selfies.  “What about me?”

 

Oikawa Tooru was admittedly probably one of the best actors of their generation.  He was one of the select few child actors who managed to crawl their way out of that ambiguous time and come out stronger on the other side.  He had a loyal following that only seemed to grow with each new project he did and every magazine he graced the cover of. Kuroo was humble enough to admit that he didn’t think they’d ever cross paths, let alone be in the same movie together.  But Oikawa was clever, far more clever than his public persona let on, and he recognized Ennoshita’s talent and how far it would take him.

 

“Your wardrobe suits you perfectly.”  Yachi said diplomatically, not mentioning that Oikawa technically didn’t even have to be there.  Despite Oikawa’s longtime fame and the wealth he’s accumulated since he was a child, he still showed up for every single meeting, dress rehearsal, lighting and sound check, and everything in between.  Yachi was also very carefully not saying that Kuroo’s own wardrobe needed a lot of last minute changes due to much of it not fitting.

 

Kuroo’s previous project had been a guest appearance as a vigilante on a popular tv show.  He had appeared in five episodes and had been shirtless for a total of seven scenes. The no carb, high protein diet had been torturous along with the hours of training and working out he did for the action scenes, but Kuroo couldn’t deny the results were there.  Kuroo had always been on the lean side, good genetics and his height made that possible. Yachi had made his wardrobe to fit his measurements before he had started training for his role as a vigilante and things had changed since then. Kuroo had apologized profusely but Yachi had waved it off and worked hard to make sure everything not only fit Kuroo but looked good too.

 

As Yachi helped Kuroo carefully remove each layer he couldn’t help but look over at the closed door and wonder what solution they were coming to in there.

  
  
  
  


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Kuroo let out a long moan specifically designed to earn him a glare from Kenma.  Kuroo continued to eat the tempura, moaning with each new piece until Kenma kicked him and Yaku threatened bodily harm unless he stopped.  Truthfully it was more so Bokuto threatening to take away the food that made Kuroo stop, but honestly it wasn’t all for show.

 

“I haven’t had anything fried in months.”  Kuroo complained as he snatched another piece and shoved it in his mouth.  The strict diet he had been on for his last role was broken the second they wrapped up but considering Yachi had made so many adjustments to his wardrobe he was being good about what he ate.

 

Except it was rare for all of them to be able to get together.  Kuroo saw Kozume Kenma more than the others but not nearly as much as Kuroo would like, though Kenma might argue further Kuroo knew he was missed.  It was good to have people who weren’t in the same business as him even if it made it difficult for all of them to gather in the same place more than a handful of times a year.  Kuroo was always busy with one project or another and Kenma was a full time app designer.

 

Bokuto Koutarou was a professional athlete.  They had met when Kuroo had gotten injured on set and Bokuto was seeing the same physical therapist for an old elbow injury.  Bokuto was one of the silliest people Kuroo had ever met, he was always coming up with wild schemes and saying the most ridiculous things that  _ almost _ made sense.  The guy was always one of the most hardworking people Kuroo had ever met, Bokuto wasn’t good at anything but sports but by god was he good at those.

 

Yaku Morisuke was an old high school friend of Kuroo’s, they had turned severe hatred into a lifelong friendship.  Whenever Kuroo was feeling adrift or too far from who he wanted to be, he could always count on the daycare teacher to straighten him out.

 

“Have they found someone to replace that actor yet?”  Kenma asked. It had been three days since he stormed off the set and Kuroo hadn’t been able to do any of his scenes because all of them involved his bodyguard.  He could see the stress settling on everyone's shoulders as time continued to crawl on.

 

“Not that I know of.”  Kuroo answered honestly.  Technically he wasn’t allowed to speak of such things but they were in the safety of Yaku’s apartment and Kuroo trusted the three of them enough not to repeat anything he told them.  “Oikawa’s just as amazing as everyone says he is.” Bokuto asks if Kuroo can set him up on a date with Oikawa, which Kuroo instantly denies. 

 

“But why not?  Do you think I’m not good looking enough for him?”  Bokuto asked before curling up a bicep with a grin. Kenma snorts as Yaku gives the large muscle an appreciative glance.

 

“I think he’d eat you alive.”  Kuroo answered. “And then I’d have to hire some guys to break his legs and one of those guys would turn out to be a cop and I’d be thrown in prison-”

 

“Don’t retell one of your own movies you tool!”  Yaku called foul, hitting Kuroo with a pillow as they moved onto other subjects.

  
  
  
  


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Kuroo sat back as they reset the scene, script balanced on his knee but mostly forgotten as he watched Terushima and Yachi step back from Oikawa in full outfit and makeup.  Terushima Yuuji was a talented makeup artist that Kuroo thought was going to be a big problem considering he hit on everyone, especially Yachi who was clearly uncomfortable with his advances.  Kuroo had been about to step in during one of these interactions, about to play mediator before someone like Tanaka got whiff of Terushima’s bad attitude and caused a scene. But a second after Yachi had recoiled she had sprung to life, finger pointing and telling Terushima that she didn’t like the way he talked to her and how uncomfortable he made her feel, unsafe on her own set when approached so aggressively by someone much larger than herself.  Kuroo had expected the makeup artist to scoff and continue his ways but he had actually looked sheepish and the next day he had bowed deeply to Yachi, apologizing and promising that he would stop.

 

To Terushima’s credit he did stop the aggressive flirting.  Kuroo suspected that he was just a flirt by nature so he didn’t cut it off completely but he always gave people their space, always asked for permission before stepping closer, and had mostly become a better person.  Kuroo had been proud of little Yachi for telling him off but in a way that was constructive, allowed Terushima to see things from her point of view and forgave him when he made a conscious effort to better himself.

 

Kuroo still wasn’t a huge fan of Terushima’s but he couldn’t hold it against the kid forever when clearly no malice or ill intent was meant by it.  But he still watched Terushima, making sure the other man didn’t slip back into bad habits. If Kuroo had to talk to him he wouldn’t be nearly as nice as Yachi was.

 

The sound of a motorcycle coming closer had most heads swiveling around to see who it was.  It was a closed set, which meant whoever was driving up had the credentials to be there but Kuroo didn’t remember anyone riding a motorcycle to set before.

 

“Was that a motorcycle?  Is Daichi here?” Tanaka popped up from seemingly nowhere, head swivelling around after the motorcycle had cut off.  Moments later a broad figure walked into the large warehouse where they were housing several sets for the movie they were working on.  The man was wearing a black helmet, the visor tinted so nothing could be seen inside, along with a black leather jacket, dark washed jeans, and old brown boots finished the look.  “Daichi!” Tanaka did a running leap and the man must have been used to it because he braced one leg slightly behind him before catching Tanaka, making it look easy even though Tanaka was tall and muscular.

 

“Oh, excuse me!”  Yachi dipped her head in a quick bow before walking over to the stranger and Tanaka.  The man released Tanaka, who hopped to his feet and immediately made room for Yachi. The man removed his helmet, revealing a would-be plain looking, tanned face.  What could have been plain features were made striking but a large and genuine smile that made his eyes crinkle and a dimple appear in his left cheek. “It is so good to see you.”  Yachi said with genuine enthusiasm as she took the helmet despite the mans protests.

 

“Ennoshita is back here.”  Tanaka lead them both away, where Ennoshita had walked off with a few of the lighting people to find something that wasn’t as harsh as the ones they were using now that washed out too much color from the set and actors.

 

“What do you know?”  Oikawa asked and Kuroo turned to see him addressing a grinning Terushima.

 

“So much but information isn’t free.”  Terushima turned to his make up kit, reorganizing it.  Oikawa narrowed his eyes.

 

“What do you want?”  Oikawa asked, voice wary.

 

“You know what I want.”  Terushima threw another grin over his way.  Kuroo watched with amusement, propping his chin onto a closed fist as he looked at Oikawa, wondering what his response would be.

 

“I’ll figure it out on my own eventually.”  Oikawa scoffed, adjusting his yukata with practiced hands, a fake air of nonchalance that even Terushima could see through.  Terushima went back to organizing his kit while Oikawa stared holes in the ground. “Okay! One instagram picture but I get to choose what we do and how we look.”  Terushima let out an excited shout and they shook on it. Poor Terushima had no idea what he was getting into, Kuroo had once witnessed Oikawa take no less than a hundred pictures in four different locations before declaring all of them ugly.

 

“His name is Sawamura Daichi,” Terushima revealed as Oikawa brought out his phone.  Kuroo stood up, placing his script on his chair before hovering over Oikawa’s shoulder to see what he could dig up.  “He’s a stuntman who has worked all over Asia but the past couple years he’s been in a long term contract with a pretty big company in America coordinating a series of superhero movies.  He’s also a senior member of the film club Ennoshita, Tanaka, and Yachi were in.” Kuroo read the long list of films that Sawamura had not only coordinated all the stunts but was an extra in too.  He had won awards and there were pictures shared by A-List celebrities all around the world crowing his greatness. Sawamura Daichi’s instagram was a mixture of various stunts, gym pictures, and a plethora of furry creatures.

 

Before they could dig any deeper Ennoshita walked out and called for everyone to gather.  He introduced their newest cast member, Sawamura who gave a good natured grin and bowed before asking them to take care of him.  Kuroo tried not to think of pictures of revealing tank tops, flexing muscles, or a smiling face as a cat butt his head up against Sawamura’s chin.

 

Kuroo tried not to think about those things and failed miserably in doing so.

  
  
  
  


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Kuroo finds he loves doing scenes with Oikawa.  Oikawa real personality is a bit too much for Kuroo, too much intensity, too much scrutiny, too much pride but all that focused into his character provides the perfect sounding board for Kuroo’s own acting abilities.  There’s no bend or give in Oikawa but he does find the perfect way to balance and blend with whoever he’s sharing screen time with. He makes Kuroo better and Kuroo’s humble enough to admit that.

 

Real Oikawa though is a bit childish and gets jealous easily, it’s almost laughable how easy Kuroo finds it to provoke the other male and he knows that’s not always a good thing.  Acting is an odd job to have, it’s difficult to find boundaries when those get blurred so often in their field. It’s why all of Kuroo’s closet friends aren’t in the same business, he needs people to ground him, to feel comfortable just being himself and not being on all the time.

 

Oikawa wants to work out all of Kuroo’s secrets.  Kuroo doesn’t think Oikawa wants to do anything unsavory like post them on twitter or sell them to a trashy tabloid magazine but it’s still unnerving to be the center of that high intensity focus.  Kuroo enjoys his privacy, he likes where he is in life, likes the acting roles he takes and his small niche of loyal fans. He doesn’t want more fame and he already makes a comfortable living wage, all of that confuses Oikawa who is always aiming for a high goal, he can’t understand people who are just content with what they have.

 

Kuroo had been Oikawa’s focus for a while, until Sawamura Daichi came along and stole the spotlight.  Kuroo couldn’t say he was sad to see it go, but he pitied the other man. Oikawa couldn’t believe that Sawamura was as wholesome and stalwart as he appeared to be, but with each passing day he just proved himself to be a good old country boy.  A country boy with thighs that could crush a watermelon and a smile that made angels cry, but Kuroo was beginning to think that was a more him thing than anyone else.

 

Kuroo shoved those feelings deep down inside him because godforbid Oikawa discovered Kuroo’s little parttime crush and weakness for men with deep voices and soft eyes.

 

It was several days after Sawamura’s initial introduction that Kuroo found the other man in a slightly compromising position.  Kuroo had been walking around the set, generally staying out of people's way and avoiding Oikawa who wanted to go out for drinks afterwards and  _ get to know each other _ , as if Kuroo was born yesterday.  His headphones were pulled over his eyes, he had a penchant for American blues and alternative rock, when he spotted Sawamura sitting amongst racks of clothes and discarded props.  His back was ramrod straight, his knee bouncing with anxious energy and there was a deep frown on his usually smiling face.

 

Kuroo would usually never pass up the opportunity to tease someone, especially when Sawamura was oh so teasable, but the slightly battered and crinkled script in Sawamura’s white knuckled grip made him think it through more.  Sawamura was a stuntman whose career was boiled down to Thug Number 2 and Attacker Number 4. It must be nerve wrecking being thrust into a speaking role, expected to carry part of the plot on his, admittedly nice, shoulders. The rest of them had time to study the script, to talk things over with Ennoshita, and slowly slide into their roles.

 

“Having trouble Sawamura?”  Kuroo asked, purposefully dragging out the syllables of Sawamura’s name.  He had really meant to offer help but something about the other man brought out the teenager in Kuroo.  Sawamura looked up, his leg stopped moving and he looked like he was about to give false assurances but then he sighed.

 

“I’m not an actor.”  Sawamura admitted. Kuroo put his headphones around his neck, letting the tones of Muddy Waters continue on as he sat in front of Sawamura.

 

“Ennoshita isn’t an idiot, he wouldn’t have asked you to fill this role if he didn’t have confidence in your abilities to pull it off.”  Kuroo held his hand out for the script and Sawamura handed it over. Kuroo looked at the first couple lines, knew the familiar scene and couldn’t help but grin up at Sawamura.  “Is it the lines giving you troubles or the fact that you have to say it to a man?” Kuroo knew he wasn’t being particularly fair, but he had gone most of his career with people asking him frankly bigoted and homophobic questions.  He could work with Sawamura if he was either of those things, but it was best to know it now so Kuroo could swallow down his anger and if he was being honest with himself, disappointment too.

 

“Ennoshita made me aware of the role I would be playing.”  Sawamura seemed to pull back on his own frustration. “Men or women, I don’t really care but it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve never had to do any of those type of scenes before.  The most I’ve had to do is yell things like ‘Get him’, and yeah I’ve gotten very good at being punched but this is-” Sawamura made an aborted motion with his hand but Kuroo still understood.  It was about some heavy emotions, it was a relationship that had to be believable otherwise it would create a disconnect with the audience.

 

“Okay, tell me what you know about the character.”  Kuroo asked. “Who is the actor here? You did ask for my help after all so trust the process.”

 

“I don’t think I asked for your help at all.”  Sawamura grumbled but he straightened up. “He’s a bodyguard to the daimyo, a trained samurai in a time where samurai’s are coming to an end.  He has no living family, his only purpose in life is to protect.”

 

“And his relationship with the daimyo?”  Kuroo asked.

 

“He loves him but he thinks of himself as lesser, unworthy of that type of love but it doesn’t matter to him because all he wants to do is be by his side.”  Sawamura’s cheeks are a little pink and Kuroo finds it adorable but he forces himself to concentrate. “He’ll never make the first move because that would be stepping outside the boundaries he’s created, he would think it’d be disrespectful.  He loves the daimyo he protects and would give up his life for him without question.” Kuroo had to clear his throat twice before he could speak again.

 

“Well you’ve got the characterization down.”  Kuroo handed the script back. “So let's see how your acting abilities are.”

 

They run through lines together.  Sawamura isn’t bad but he wouldn’t be winning awards anytime soon.  There’s a certain stiffness to his deliveries, which actually works quite well with the respectful and rule abiding samurai he’s playing, but there’s a hesitancy there that someone who spent their entire life preparing for their role in society wouldn’t have.  Kuroo knows it’s nerves and he knows it’s because Sawamura won’t take his eyes off the script, concentrating too hard on getting the wording exactly right to put real emotion behind it.

 

“You need to get off script.”  Kuroo said after his name had been called.  He stood up and stretched out his long body.  There were people who did better with things like tele prompts but it was clear despite Sawamura’s staple of society looks, he was a bit of a wild card and needed to have the freedom to put a bit of himself into the character.  “Ennoshita told us at our first reading that the words weren’t as important as long as-”

 

“The emotion behind them was conveyed.”  Sawamura grinned ruefully down at his script.  A brilliant idea came to Kuroo that would allow him to sneak out of drinks with Oikawa while getting to know Sawamura better.

 

“Do you want to go over lines after filming?”  Sawamura looked up, surprise written on his face. 

  
“I’m learning the stunts from Tanaka after but if you don’t mind sticking around?”  Sawamura asked, a hesitant smile on his face. _Oh no_ , Kuroo thought as he nodded without a second thought, he was definitely in trouble.


End file.
